Email 101

EMAIL

Email is a method of exchanging digital message via the internet to friends, family, co workers etc.  It was invented in 1971 and has grown exponentially as the internet has developed. Today's email systems are based on a store-and-forward model. Email servers accept, forward, deliver and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to be online simultaneously; they need connect only briefly, typically to an email server, for as long as it takes to send or receive messages. Also email can now be used on mobile phones connected using GPRS, WAP or even SMS. Moreover it can be used via consoles and digital t connection to the internet.

An email system allows you to: select individual messages to view; see a list of messages in your mailbox ; showing the sender’s name, the content, date and time it was sent; add attachments to mails and save attachments from mails; compose messages with a subject and textual content.

The message is mostly composed in a frame within the client or an editing window. This used to be entirely text based but can now be HTML based.  Messages are sent using an STMP server and received using POP3 or an IMAP server.

ADVANTAGES OF EMAIL
Easy to use
Fast
Permanent records of communication 
With attachments, it is capable of delivering almost any message and file type to almost any recipient

DISADVANTAGES OF EMAIL

worms can be attached very easily

Spam mail can block up mailboxes and whole areas of the internet itself.

alse identification

DANGERS OF EMAIL

Spoofing or spamming- It is easy to act as someone else with a fake address, leading the receiver to believe the email is from a trusted source. Spamming is using email to conduct a junk email campaign. It is so easy to do that unregulated it can flood people’s inboxes.

Virus- This is a piece of code that attaches itself onto programs or files. A virus is capable of copying itself once it is opened.  Furthermore it spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a computer or network router's hard drive and then making copies of itself. Some viruses are harmless, others may damage data files, and some may destroy files. Viruses used to be spread when people shared floppy disks and other portable media, now viruses are primarily spread through email messages.

Worm- This is a species that can copy itself in great volumes when installed on the computer without any further files opened.  They often spread from computer to computer and take up valuable memory. Also worms can also allow attackers to take over your computer.

Trojan- This is in a form of a piece code that is usually covered in appealing attachment or download but may harbor an unwelcome payload. Once a Trojan horse is installed it can take over and damage the users system.